semiautomatic

adjective

semi·​au·​to·​mat·​ic ˌse-mē-ˌȯ-tə-ˈma-tik How to pronounce semiautomatic (audio)
ˌse-ˌmī-,
-mi-
: not fully automatic: such as
a
: operated partly automatically and partly by hand
b
of a firearm : able to fire repeatedly through an automatic reloading process but requiring release and another pressure of the trigger for each successive shot
a semiautomatic rifle
semiautomatic noun
semiautomatically adverb

Examples of semiautomatic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The bill proposes to ban the sale or purchase of semiautomatic firearms that accept detachable magazines. The Denver Post, 8 Feb. 2025 The shooter, Nikolas Cruz, was 19 at the time and used a semiautomatic rifle. Jim Saunders, Sun Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2025 During another sale, an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle was placed in a garbage bag and sold in the middle of the afternoon in the Bronx. Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 30 Jan. 2025 Rocky is facing a pair of felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 29 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for semiautomatic 

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of semiautomatic was in 1853

Dictionary Entries Near semiautomatic

Cite this Entry

“Semiautomatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semiautomatic. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025.

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